There are a number of martial classics, including:
36 Strategies
The Art of War
The Book of Five Rings
The Methods of the Ssu-ma
Questions and Replies Between T’ang T’ai-tsung and Li Wei-kung
T’ai Kung’s Six Secret Teachings
Three Strategies of Huang Shih-kung
Wei Liao-tzu
Wu-tzu
Talk is cheap in the modern world, so we encourage direct experience instead. Nobody in the class is expected to take the instructor's word for it. Find out for yourself through practical exercises.
Belief is not a requirement, nor is faith. You are not a 'disciple'. We adopt a scientific approach. The evidence is to be found in the doing and the proof in the effect.
This is called 'empiricism'. Discover the facts for yourself. Feel it for yourself. This is the heart of Zen.
Tai chi is the one exercise that can universally help solve our growing health crisis. It has stood the test of thousands of years. We have a generation of baby boomers with increasing health problems; old people who are sick, in pain, fearful, and cranky; a middle class that is increasingly incapable of affording most of the drugs that are prescribed for their ailments; children that are flaccid, diabetic and asthmatic. People of all ages are addicted to drugs, alcohol, sugar, cigarettes, and caffeine. Stress follows almost everyone like a shadow.
(Bruce Frantzis)
Most adults lose flexibility in their hands as they grow older. This is often the result of neglect and misuse. In our tai chi school we often ask new people to try and use baoding balls.
This is usually quite telling. Baoding balls are 2 metal spheres held in the palm of the hand and rotated using the movement of the hand and thumb.
Often people are exceedingly inept. Their hands simply will not move adequately to perform the exercise.
Modern technology is re-shaping how we use our bodies. Jerky, sharp movement is coarse and unrefined; clumsy. The joints of the body are capable of a wide range of movement.
Excessive use of toys is limiting those movements; emphasising the same actions repeatedly.
e.g. if you watch an Asian dancer, the hands perform intricate shapes and minute movements which look simple but are very hard to replicate.
A keyboard, mouse and monitor are interfaces that enable you to use the computer. The same is true of a mobile phone or videogame controller.
They were not designed with health in mind.
Be aware that your health must be your own concern. Continual use of a restricted number of muscles leads to muscular tension in the arms, wrists and hands.
Form teaches economy of movement, centre, range & reach, coordination, footwork, balance, timing, synchrony, flow, natural body use, healthy body use, strong skeletal alignment, power generation, stance and positioning.
Every tai chi form movement has a purpose. The student must understand why they are doing the movement, otherwise that movement is meaningless and most likely incorrect.
What is the movement for? How does it operate? Look at different forms in the syllabus - armed and unarmed - and consider the way in which the body is being used.
Examine the purpose, the method and the outcome.
As a precursor to tai chi, qigong offers the student an opportunity to explore crude body mechanics without the need of direct application.
Structure, balance, stance (foot position), mobility, coordination, use of energy, alignment, posture and poise are all explored using simple exercises.Lower back problems can be caused by various things but the main problem is sitting too much. Sitting causes the muscles to shorten. It is then harder for them to relax and lengthen.
Pelvis problems occur because the spine has lost its natural curvature and the muscles pull the pelvis out of alignment.One common back problem many students exhibit is called a 'posterior pelvic tilt'. It is caused by standing badly and sitting badly.
As such it's a 'lifestyle problem' and not something we can address in class. We're not therapists. Students are responsible for remedying the problem themselves.
People who go to the gym promote massive tension in their shoulders. The shoulders are pulled up towards their ears by the unnecessary shortening of the muscles.
This is the outcome of failing to relax. The shoulder joint is pulled up out of its natural position and the skeleton is distorted.Not many people make the time to rest properly. They watch TV. They go out for meals. They run. But they do not rest.
It is quite common for people to damage their back by stretching too far in everyday life or twisting the wrong way.
Stretching and twisting are normally safe as part of a slow, controlled, supervised exercise program. In everyday life, avoid both.
Rather than stretch, step closer. Use a stool if you need to reach high. Instead of twisting, keep your spine vertical, and turn your entire body to face the object/subject.
Remember that humans are forward-facing beings.
The main problem with sitting is gravity, loss of circulation and the tightening/shortening of your muscles. Muscular tension stops your joints and vertebra from moving freely.
When the hips, groin and sacroiliac freeze-up, the overall skeletal mobility is reduced.Your head weighs almost a stone. When you let it hang forwards it acts as an anchor; pulling your spine downwards. The chest caves in. The abdominal muscles collapse.
Most people are quite aware of how to lift things correctly but many people ignore the advice. Hurried, sloppy lifting - with little or no adhesion to good structure and alignment - can lead to problems.
Take the time to learn how to lift things properly. There is a bounty of free information on-line. It is not complicated.There are calm places to be found in every town. A tai chi class is a good example. Calm voices, settled emotions and an atmosphere of friendship and camaraderie will be immediately apparent.
This may feel most unfamiliar to you, odd even. Don't panic. Give yourself time to adjust to something different. Just stay with it and enjoy. A feeling of serenity and peace may settle upon you.
The first indication of a calmer mind lies in your capacity to notice the world around you. Instead of driving past in your noisy car, you walk slowly. You see.
Insignificant-seeming things catch your attention: a butterfly, a leaf, a flower, the sound of an insect or the call of a bird. If you experience genuine awe and delight, then you are learning.Suppose you buy a car in 2020 and use it very rarely. In 2026 you decide to sell the car and take it to a dealership. The mileage is unusually low for a car of its age.
Yet the car is still 6 years old chronologically. In terms of wear and tear the car is 6 months old.
Tai chi is about spending your energy frugally. That way, as you get older, your wear and tear is unusually low for a person of your age.
Tai chi combines mind, body and spirit in every action. The student feels acutely alive and alert; energy-filled and passionate.
By using the body more efficiently, you can become less tired and feel more lively.Neurotic conduct is not youthful. Look at small children, unhindered by adult interference. They are usually curious about their immediate environment.
Taste, smell, touch, sounds, sights. The child is not fidgeting or restless, bored or emotional. They are filled with awe and wonder.It is easy for most people to perform large, extended movements that rotate the shoulder joint or bend the elbow.
No particular skill is involved.
Our students are not taught to practice in this way.
Whilst large movements may indeed exercise some of the muscles and the joints, they fail to address the full range of potential movement.
The real skill lies in the small, in the subtle.
Instead of feeling apart from what is happening, we feel the physics of the movement, the kinetic flow.
Our own body and our self-consciousness is lost in the event itself.If you go too slowly it can be counter-productive. Instead of loosening and relaxing, you stiffen up. This occurs because the muscles are working too hard to carry the weight of the body. Find a pace that is slow but still smooth.
Beginners find it quite difficult to move slowly. This is understandable. In our class, beginners move at a comfortable, easy pace. They are not encouraged to be too slow at first.Almost every beginner struggles to understand the application of strength in tai chi.
They wrestle with the subject, believing that they cannot reasonably apply the system without tensing their muscles and using force.In tai chi you must always remain within your natural range of movement.
Any stretching is done subtly and never forced; the body is allowed to open by itself, rather than be forced.
By encouraging the joints to be free, mobility increases radically and the body can move more comfortably.
Tai chi should never strain or hurt the body.
Some movements may feel uncomfortable if you have bad postural habits and this is to be expected - your body is already used to set patterns of movement and poise - and the tai chi is gently changing these.
The loose flowing movements of tai chi are very deliberately slow because gravity is maintained when you move slowly. You can align the body to work with gravity and improve your balance. Leaning of any kind will destabilise the body.
Moving slowly is quite difficult. New students cannot sustain a slow, even movement. They jerk.
The remedy to this is to practice. Gradually, your body changes from within.The equivalent process to seeking the "Holy Grail" in internal arts is the ability to move more slowly than your opponent and consistently win.
Slower speed that wins out requires three types of speed coming together simultaneously:
1. Timing.
2. The signals required to maintain some level of conscious power.
3. The ability to release the internal gears of your body, which, if they freeze up, can create a momentary mental gap that breaks the connection between you and your opponent.
This method is referred to in the Tai Chi Classics in the form of a question:
"How is it possible that an old man can defeat a group of younger men?"
Obviously, elderly men, even the most talented, are not physically capable of moving at the speed of young men. Virtually, by definition, the elderly move with slowness, and yet those old men internal arts masters by slipping in between the gaps, are justifiably well-known for defeating younger and faster men.
(Bruce Frantzis)
Our approach to tai chi places emphasis upon feeling/physically sensing. You must be totally present in order for the system to work effectively for health, meditation and self defence.
This entails feeling every part of your body consciously as it moves. Immersing yourself in the 'here and now' heightens your awareness and reduces the risk of injury.
In your quest for martial power, it is very easy to be led astray. Gimmicks, short-cuts and secrets will promise you everything you desire. The danger lies in the fact that you are inexperienced.
Your quest is based on your perception of what is important, of what is necessary. To a more experienced student, those same concerns may seem irrelevant or misguided.
When you remove any notions of being perfect, you can relax and get on with the practice. Everyone is flawed. Everyone makes mistakes. This is part of what makes us human.
Don't be so worried about 'getting it right'. Just be.
Skill in tai chi is internal, within the body - and can always be improved upon. The outward form should reflect the energy of each movement. Every movement should be like a wave, rippling out of the body and then returning. This is shown by the water-like undulation of the body as you move.
Posture is a framework for shaping the movement, nothing more. It is the scaffolding, not the substance.
Accurate form postures do not necessarily reflect skill in tai chi. They demonstrate accuracy, memory and spatial awareness. Do not be caught up in how nice your form looks.
Some people seek to 'perfect' their tai chi practice. They seek a condition of faultless excellence with nothing lacking. This idea of completeness has the connotation of finality. Yet, tai chi is not about reaching a goal.
Tai chi is the process, the means, the nature; not the end.
Taoism considers 'perfection' to be a condition of uncontrived naturalness. Yet, the very notion of perfection is simply a concept... Your tai chi can only ever be a work-in-progress. The learning will never end.
Pre-natal breath is held on the in-take and then then exhalation continued for as long as possible.
This is specifically used as a qigong breath.The front of the body ripples as you breathe.
This is the advanced version of reverse breathing and incorporates a more powerful action of the diaphragm.Breathe in and the abdomen comes in, breathe out and the abdomen goes out.
This is Taoist breathing. It is also essential for energy release.The shoulders are commonly overused in tai chi. They should be connected to the hips and moved as a consequence of the leg and waist muscles, rather than independently.
There are no conventional punches in tai chi; you never deliver a blow by 'cocking' the shoulder.
The shoulders should be free to fold and flex normally but never lead the movement.
If your shoulders are stiff, consider how free the legs are...
Many students sink deep into the knees instead of the hips - this is how you can damage the knees. If your knees hurt during tai chi practice, look to the pelvis first. Loose hips, relaxed lower back and ankles will allow the knee to move comfortably.
Sinking into your hips and letting the pelvis become heavy will allow the lower back to relax fully. When the tailbone drops, your spine lengthens naturally.
Make sure that the rear knee is relaxed.
You should feel a sensation behind the shoulders called 'pluck up the back'.
Stiffness and holding will reduce mobility - the vertebra should be free to flex and rotate as you move.
The aim is to train every day. There is no need push yourself, strain your body or perform high repetitions. Train gently.
What is needed is presence and mindfulness. Have your mind on what you are doing and train slowly and carefully.
New students focus upon practicing (and learning) a series of fundamental standing and moving qigong exercises. These are quite easy to perform and build a foundation level of strength.
Partner exercises are mild, with the emphasis placed upon awareness and sensitivity.Most new starters are not prepared for the amount of physical work involved in learning a martial art.
The image of tai chi creates a false sense of effortlessness.The form is one method for exploring the many insights offered by Taoism.
It is a hands-on approach to spirituality. It is a physical journey that will lead to an inner search for meaning and understanding within the student.
High-level form practice harmonises the body and the mind. We move in a natural, healthy, strong fashion. The lessons learned can be taken into everyday life.
It is necessary to have the form regularly corrected, so that a process of on-going refinement and improvement takes place.
Accurate positioning, attention to detail and a growing awareness of nuances is vital. Once the form pattern has been learned, it must also be mirrored.
The highest level of tai chi practice is high stance and small circle. In high stance and small circle you can conserve your energy to a maximum level. This is very crucial in battle. Endurance has always been the crucial key to survival in a long battle. Moreover, due to high stance and smaller shape you can reach to the deepest relaxed stage, the mind is highly concentrated, and the sensitivity and alertness can be extremely sharp.
(Yang Jwing-Ming)
Instead of talking, praying or thinking, Taoists do. They act. They put their wisdom into practice. Tai chi is a physical embodiment of Taoist insights.
If you want to find the origin of tai chi, begin with the ancient Chinese study of existence known as 'Taoism'.
Taking another person's feeling into account means that we can avoid being accusatory or hostile. We can discuss things rationally and sensibly. The aim is not to find a solution or even to win. Rather, we simply want to explore the possibilities together.
A shared journey of discovery is far more productive than starting out with a fixed agenda. Who can say where the conversation may lead, or what unforeseen elements may emerge?
It is quite possible to communicate with other people without hostility and conflict. We can share ideas in an amiable way, even if we are in disagreement with one another. Emotional awareness and composure represent the key.
When your emotions are balanced and calm, you can think clearly and see more. You notice things and can respond intuitive and sensitively, rather than blundering around carelessly.Being a considerate person makes life much easier. You notice other people, you pay attention to their moods, wants and needs. This does not entail any form of subservience or simpering. You are simply aware. In the here and now. Paying attention. Listening. It is surprising what you notice when you stop your internal narrative and look at what is going on around you.
You may see common ground between you and someone else. Your interests and agendas may not be all that different. Instead of fighting, you could simply talk. Do you need to win? Is it necessary to get your point across? Who cares if the other person does not understand? Instead of getting into a conflict, ask yourself: is there another option?Do you anticipate conflict in your everyday life? Do you live in fear? Is your fear genuine or are you just overly-sensitive?
The problem with fear is that much of it is imagined. People create their own problems by becoming anxious about everyday situations. They blow things out of proportion. They over-react.
Are you holding onto an image? Men puff up their chest and strut around like a rooster in an attempt to look 'hard'. This kind of behaviour is designed to intimidate would-be assailants. It only serves to make the individual look weak, fearful and insecure. It advertises their fear.
It is easy to blame other people for conflict. People instinctively lash out and seek to blame someone else. Try being honest. No lies. No excuses.
Are you blameless? Have you played any small part in creating conflict or were you simply on the receiving end?
Be genuine about this. It is impossible to make progress if you deny the truth. Being sullen and resentful only perpetuates conflict. It is important to find the source of disharmony if you desire to move past it. Being willing to change is imperative.
If we listen to other people, we realise that there are many sides to every situation. It is often possible to avoid conflict.
People do not care to listen these days. They are too busy talking. Too eager to promote their own agenda. Listening is a skill. It requires practice and patience.Conflict typically involves emotional turmoil, anxiety and stress. Is it worth the effort?
Many disagreements are exceptionally petty and essentially meaningless.
Consider: football fans will assault fans of an opposing team on sight.
For what reason?
If one team or the other wins, what difference does it make?
Is the world a better place?
Has a tyrannical despot been overthrown?
Did someone cure cancer?
Have the peoples of the Third World been fed?
When somebody seeks to argue with you, it is important to ask yourself what the contention is really about.
If the disagreement is pointless, is there any reason to get into conflict?
Pride, ego, insecurity, distemper - these are not adequate reason for conflict. They are just excuses.
Conflict may occur when there is a disagreement between people. Contradictory values, priorities, beliefs and opinions create contention. Quite often a quarrel of some nature may occur.
Conflicts often involve:
Strong emotions
Fixed standpoint
Unwillingness to compromise
Limited perspective
Stubbornness
Lack of compassion
Raised voices
Verbal, emotional or physical violence
The opposition of ideas can lead to bitterness, hostility and a great deal of upset.
Endurance is the capacity to withstand hardship. It is the ability to handle difficulty. To recover from trauma, injury and fatigue.
Stamina is the ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort; to remain active for a long period of time without fatigue.
Tai chi students cultivate static balance to begin with. They then work through increasingly challenging forms of movement designed to improve dynamic balance.
Community Hall, St Andrew's Church, Station Road, Benton, NE12 8AW.
Please enter via the car park.
According to The Blue Zones and The Okinawa Program it is important to think of exercise in terms of what you can reasonably do long-term. We are all aging. This is unavoidable.
The ideal form of exercise is moderate enough that you can do it for the rest of your life. It needs to be joint-friendly, have a low-risk of injury, provide a gentle workout and be sustainable.
A 2-week tai chi taster is nice, but if you want to experience on-going benefits, you need on-going practice. The more often your body undertakes the exercise, the more familiar it will be.
Attending as and when you feel like it sounds great, but drop-in classes don't work. Usually the student attends 2-3 lessons maximum and then stops tai chi altogether.
Newcastle Tai Chi is not a drop-in class. Our aim is to help and support each individual in their efforts to get fit, healthy and (if interested) gain martial arts skill.
You don't need to be fit to start tai chi classes. But you do need to be able to stand up, walk and step without the aid of a stick.
The qigong & tai chi classes are designed to cultivate a greater degree of fitness: stamina, balance, endurance, flexibility, mobility and coordination. In some respects the exercises will be just as challenging as yoga, but not exertive.
Pushing hands (and other forms of partner work) requires you to touch other students. If you are not comfortable with physical contact, we recommend that you consider an alternative form of exercise.
There are so many different dimensions to what Sifu Waller's class offers, it is hard to know where to start. The main thing for me is that it is great fun - I never expected that it would make me laugh so much.
This comes from Sifu Waller's unique approach, sharing his vast knowledge in a down-to-earth and non-macho way, which I think leads to the whole class being a warm and supportive place to be.
The key thing is that it works, such simple things that have a really dramatic effect on your body, not a spiritual, abstract set of moves but real 'I do this, he falls down' stuff. I can feel my own body responding now too - getting firmer, more balanced, more in control - and I think the qigong exercises are making my mind much calmer as well.
(Robin)
Even though our syllabus is comprehensive, we cannot conceivably teach everything e.g. we don't teach other martial arts.
Occasionally, people ask Newcastle Tai Chi to tailor the syllabus to suit their own area of interest/needs, such as tai chi for the elderly, tai chi in a chair, tai chi for children, tai chi for people with mental health issues or tai chi as performance art. We cannot teach kung fu to children or to new starters above the age of 60.
These are not areas that we specialise in. We are not trained or qualified to teach these approaches, nor is our syllabus or insurance geared with these in mind.
A would-be student should take the time to learn a little more about what the class is offering before attending any sessions. Do a little research. See what is on offer and if suits your requirements.
In the case of Newcastle Tai Chi, why not read our website a little? The time spent could be worthwhile.
If you have any medical questions, your doctor is the person to speak to. A tai chi teacher is not qualified (or permitted) to give advice on your unique medical condition. Go see your doctor.
Using gravity and connection, we build a substantial structure. That structure must also be fluid and adaptive like water. Nothing is softer than water.
'Soft' refers to the condition of pliability and the necessity of using the least amount of muscular strength at all times.
Only by being extremely gentle in our physical contact with others can we sense their movements fully and flow like water.
Hardness in our own bodies will prevent sensitivity and impede smooth movement.
You need a good tai chi teacher to adjust your posture physically, to help calibrate your alignment, to point out where you are holding tensions, and to note any musculoskeletal imbalances. The nonverbal physical adjustments you get from your teacher help you develop a level of self-awareness not accessible through solo practice alone.
(Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publication, May 2009)
A taijiquan exponent seeks to have the supple, soft body they once had as a child. The joints are mobile and flexible, and the muscles move smoothly and easily.
Poise is good and the body is used naturally and comfortably. The mind is quiet and we listen to what the body is telling us.
The Chen form derived from battlefield military movements, where people wore medieval body armour that had to be compensated for. The Chen-style stances were specifically designed to achieve these compensations and obtain a workable position from which to realistically throw an armoured opponent.
By the time Yang had reached Beijing, times had changed. With the advent of firearms, battlefield armour became obsolete; hence, the need for techniques to deal with armoured foes had passed.
Yang and his students had to deal with situations encountered by bodyguards, not armies opposing each other.
(Bruce Frantzis)
How well you do is entirely down to you. Your capacity to coordinate the body, memorise, observe, comprehend and adapt will all be put to the test.
Yet, this is no competition. You do what you can, as you can. The class is for you. We are here to assist you. The process of learning takes as long as it needs to.
A professional syllabus is not the norm in tai chi; most schools do not have a formal syllabus. At best they have qigong, forms and drills - and these are taught in a habitual manner.
A curriculum needs to be very carefully thought through in order to build layer upon layer of understanding, body growth and internal development.
Every exercise has been systematically broken-down, explained and re-built. This is a very thorough process. All aspects of the syllabus interlock.
The material is self-reinforcing and challenges each student to understand tai chi for themselves.
The aim with differentiation is for all students to access the curriculum relative to each individual's ability. This means that those who struggle are assisted, those who do fine are developed and those who do well are challenged further.
Nobody actually wants to be hurt. Broken bones, concussion, bleeding and damage are not going to be found when training with Sifu Waller.
Aggressive martial arts classes can cause their students more harm than a real life attacker would - instead of learning to defend yourself, you are beaten up every week.
Be honest with yourself: what do you really want from your lessons?
There are no blocks in our taijiquan. Rather than block, we affect the incoming force in other ways.
Whole-body strength is commonly referred to as being "cotton-covered iron". The metaphor suggests a firm centre, surrounded by something softer.
This is the essence of what we are developing in taijiquan.
Being the martial arts equivalent of a bargain hunter will not get you internal skill. Focus on the one art, the one approach, the one system. This is the Way to skill. We teach the Yang system.
It involves learning qigong, form, and a whole range of ancillary drills and training methods. The material is extensive and thorough, relevant and related.
Progress in our taijiquan class is simply a question of tenacity. If you have the wherewithal to stick the syllabus, attend regularly and train at home, you will gain the skills.
Learning is not a haphazard process. Each student has the opportunity to fulfil their potential. We have designed a sophisticated syllabus. It is fully differentiated. All you need to do is practice.
Taijiquan cannot work if you resist force with force. Yang (firm) must encounter yin (soft) in order for balance. This is not just philosophical, it has a basis in reality and can be illustrated in the class.
Soft meeting is sometimes called 'blending'.
Not everyone is as capable as everyone else. We all start from a different place and approach the material in our own unique way.
The curriculum we have devised ensures that every student who puts in the work will gain the skills. It is not a matter of natural ability, secrets or happenstance.
The syllabus is thorough and builds the necessary foundation. Everyone can benefit. Everyone can learn. Gaining the skills is not a matter of chance. If you have the commitment, we have the way.
Playing is the first step in mastering your own ego and overcoming your conditioning. Lao Tzu wrote: "master self before attempting to master others".
If you lack the control necessary to employ the taijiquan safely and carefully, you are still a beginner.
Humour is the greatest contribution you can bring to the practice; be good-natured, kind and light-hearted. When you stop taking yourself too seriously, you can begin to play in earnest.
If you can play for the fun of playing, then the syllabus will be an enjoyable experience.
Many studies have proven that 'exuberant play' is the most effective learning medium. With the stigma of violence, pain and injury removed, students are free to relax and explore at their leisure.
The paradoxical physics associated with taijiquan emphasises the importance of relaxing and letting-go.
Play encourages this.
In a 2008 Stanford University experiment taijiquan expert Chen Xiang generated a force 14 times his body weight when striking. 0-60 mph in less than 3 seconds.
This 'soft' striking method is accomplished by keeping the muscles soft, the intention clear and undulating the entire body in a split-second wave of power. The body is soft, the effect is hard.
In taijiquan we cultivate an unusual quality of integrity by creating a loose network of body parts.
Should any part of the body be pushed, it will yield and move. However, the overall structural integrity remains intact and resilient. There is no resistance.
No pushing back or physical tension (contracted muscles).
Imagine waking up each morning full of energy and vitality yet also feeling calm and relaxed about the day to come. It sounds like a miracle yet this state of abundant health and wellbeing should be our birthright. In our natural state we would face each day with joy, peace, and a deep connection with our bodies.
(Jane Alexander)
Qigong and tai chi training is renowned for improving stamina and endurance. Students can concentrate longer and sustain prolonged physical activity without fatigue.
They gain the ability to withstand hardship and cope with difficulty.
Try resting at certain points throughout the day and then continuing...
Without momentum to carry you forward, you may realise just how tired you really are.
The brief rest centres you and lets you feel that you're fatigued and need to stop.
The more economical movement/body use favoured in tai chi reduces fatigue. It lessens the possibility of over-commitment and redundant movement.
It makes the tai chi more accessible to people of all ages and fitness levels.
Tai chi advocates moderation; not taxing or tiring the body. Rather than train for a lengthy period of time, aim to practice little & often. 20-30 minute increments, with rest breaks in-between is ideal.
Instead of pushing your body hard and putting it under duress, just do a little exercise. Resting will keep your concentration sharp and offset fatigue.
There is a tendency to lock the psoas muscle in a defensive posture and fatigue the muscle by keeping it in a chronic contracted state. This limits the movement of the leg, encouraging the use of the lumbar spine and stops a person from performing effectively.
Being in the tai chi posture utilizes gravity to one's advantage.
(Liz Koch)
One drawback of exertive training is that it can dull your awareness. Yes, you feel strong and seem able to handle the training... but you've inadvertently lost your sensitivity.
Over time, the nervous system of most adults becomes faulty, and it provides the brain with inaccurate information.
Instead of applying only the necessary amount of strength to complete a given activity, it is normal and comfortable to use an incredible excess.
This fatigues the muscles, blunts the nervous system and makes you clumsy.
Forcing a local muscle (or muscle group) to do all the work is simply not as efficient as sharing the workload across the entire body.
Localised muscle usage leads to fatigue, strain and the risk of joint injury. Long after the task is over, the muscles are sore, tired and potentially damaged. The muscles compensate by shortening.
Often people are running on empty. They fail to take adequate rest. Many of the exercise methods they adopt lead to even greater fatigue.
Stimulants, sugar, caffeine and fatty food enable the individual to carry on when in fact the real solution to fatigue is of course energy conservation and rest.
Lifestyle issues are often caused by a failure to see what is right in front of you. The truth can be unpalatable or inconvenient.
For example: people who suffer from fatigue usually begin by over-committing their time, being unrealistic about their capabilities, failing to rest, being poorly organised, unwilling to say No, not working on themselves...
What do people do to off-set fatigue? Do they cut back their commitments, do less, rest, engage in milder forms of exercise? Not usually.
They drink caffeine drinks, eat sugary food and moan about being tired.
Modern life saps energy. People are often exhausted, unhappy, frustrated...
They are frequently emotionally, physically and psychologically unbalanced.
Feeling drained is commonplace.
Set aside talk about relaxation, qi, softness and other concerns... Your body is flesh and bone. It is moved by muscles.
In order to be strong, agile, flexible and adaptive in combat - you need to strengthen your body.
Being in condition entails:
• Increasing your strength
• Improving your ability to last (endurance)
• Overcoming fatigue
• Being fitter
• Being more efficient in your body use
• Being more capable
• Overcoming stress
According to the book The Blue Zones it is important to think of exercise in terms of what you can reasonably do long-term.
The ideal form of exercise is moderate enough that you can do it for the rest of your life. It needs to be joint-friendly, provide a gentle workout and be sustainable.
This sounds rather like tai chi, doesn't it?
There are 3 areas of fitness:
Cardio
Strength
Flexibility
In order to exercise the body properly, you need to gain aptitude in all 3 areas. Many people can lift heavy weights but they are not flexible/breathing hard after mild cardio.
Dr Michael Greger (author of How Not To Die) recommends 90 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every day.
The three doctors who wrote The Okinawa Program maintain that tai chi - with its ancient origins and incredible health benefits - is the ideal form of exercise for modern people.
In ancient China, Taoist sages searched for different ways to prolong life, maintain youth, fitness and vitality. They developed a wide variety of anti-aging exercises.
Tai chi is a product of this quest for rejuvenation.
Not many people in the UK live to be 100 years old but in Asia it is far more common. How come? Asia sees aging differently to the UK.
The aim of tai chi is to teach and encourage optimal body use. A body that is capable of spontaneous movement in any direction; comfortably, safely, with the necessary support and stability.
By sitting, standing and moving in a natural, healthy way you will feel energised, relaxed, comfortable and agile. We encourage students to be fresh and open, supple and curious...
Over time, the nervous system of most adults has become faulty, and it provides the brain with inaccurate information.
Instead of applying only the necessary amount of strength, it is normal and comfortable to use an incredible excess. This fatigues the muscles, blunts the nervous system and makes you clumsy.
Correct alignment of the body will enable you to use your body with less effort and greater strength. Counteracting the force of gravity is a key consideration.
The vertebrae and joints must be free to move in a fluid, smooth manner.
Students usually get a crude sense of tai chi quite quickly but never get very good at it. The reason why is simple... There are 3 considerations:
1. The speed/pace determined by your level of excitement.
2. The actual speed that your nervous system can currently handle.
3. How present you really are.
The discrepancy between the 3 is the issue. Your mind/emotions wants to go fast but your nervous system cannot cope. And maybe you're not fully aware because you're thinking about other things
Tai chi requires the body to perform technically complicated movements in an extremely controlled fashion. Clumsiness must be transcended.
You must become very aware of your own body and make every single movement deliberate and careful. This is not to be confused with prissiness.
It is one of the reasons why some of the training is performed slowly.
Many beginners train tai chi for ages and never learn to become soft. Why? They pay attention to the end result and not the means.
This is foolish, since the means produces the end. If we do not learn to listen to our body, then it is easy to become injured. Strains, stress and discomfort are ignored.
As you exert pressure upon an object, your body experiences resistance and there is biofeedback which tells you how much strength is necessary.
Most adults in the Western world have a faulty nervous system and the information it provides is inaccurate.
Instead of applying only the necessary amount of strength, it is normal and comfortable to use an incredible excess. This fatigues the muscles, blunts the nervous system and makes you clumsy.
It is extremely common for people to confuse 'strength' with clumsiness. When someone exerts their muscles and imposes an excess of strength, they are often considered to be strong.
Yet, how is this a reflection of strength? Surely a skilled use of strength requires the appropriate degree of strength relative to the needs of the activity?
Every martial arts class should be be teaching a level of knowledge that goes way beyond the superficial learning of patterns and routines.
If your instructor is not providing technical information, what are they teaching you? All students benefit from a more thorough understanding of their given art. Age or experience is not a factor.
An over-50's qigong & tai chi group should be addressing as much technical knowledge as is relevant and appropriate.
A martial class should train every aspect of the syllabus in a manner that assures comprehensive understanding and skill.
Stress is a condition of anxiety caused by the inability to cope with a situation. A person feels to be under pressure and they become upset.
They are often encouraged to see themselves as being a failure when the pressure becomes too much.
Stress is so commonplace that we treat it as normal. Yet, stress is very harmful to your health and can lead to illness, psychological problems and premature aging.
Taoism and Zen help with composure. They put life and your relationship with the world into perspective.
Instead of accepting conventions, orthodoxy and received wisdom, these disciplines encourage you to find out for yourself. The approach is grounded in the tangible, in the substantial.
Everyone who trains our syllabus is changed by the experience. Their lives are more peaceful and they are less prone to depression, anxiety, anger and aggression.
They learn not to exert unnecessary strength and to yield in the face of force.
Taijiquan was designed to be practiced daily. This is why the exercises are so mild: no strain, no pushing. Gentle effort. Little and often is the mantra.
Taijiquan students should be aiming to build strength carefully and progressively.Imagine if you were told that 5 minutes training would earn you £100... Would you do the exercises? Of course you would.
Yet, people are told that daily home practice = good health, fitness and better quality of life... and they dismiss it. Curious?
This illustration shows how many people value an obvious monetary reward but are unwilling to appreciate the value of health, vitality and fitness.
If a person was overweight and sought to diet, would one healthy meal per week enable them to lose weight?
It seems unlikely. There must be a daily commitment. Taijiquan is no different to this...
You need a good tai chi teacher to adjust your posture physically, to help calibrate your alignment, to point out where you are holding tensions, and to note any musculoskeletal imbalances. The nonverbal physical adjustments you get from your teacher help you develop a level of self-awareness not accessible through solo practice alone.
(Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publication, May 2009)
Our syllabus contains mild cardio work. Nothing strenuous but just enough to get the heart beating faster.
If you are tired and out of breath after a few minutes of exercise, then you are simply not fit enough. You must improve your fitness considerably if you want good circulation.
This means training qigong and form regularly.
Breathing adds oxygen to your blood stream and this helps to keep you alive and healthy. Pay attention to the act of breathing and the quality of the air.
Rather than force the breath, feel it instead. Once you can feel the air going into your body, leave the muscles alone and let your body breathe by itself.
The less you tamper with the breath, the better.
You can undertake the hardship of the walk without undue difficulty. You need to use just as much energy to complete it.
Yet, your body has grown stronger. More efficient. Compared to somebody who does not undertake daily training you will be far more capable of sustained exercise.
Consider this example:
You decide that you are unfit and you commit to a 3 mile daily walk every morning. On the first day when you complete the walk, you are out of breath and your limbs are shaky.
After two weeks you can finish the walk without losing your breath and you feel pleasantly energised.
Eventually the walk feels too easy and you look to try a more challenging route. What has changed?
When people say 'full contact' they are typically referring to no-holds-barred combat, unrestrained, without rules... But what do they really mean by full contact? That they hit one another?
That they use full-power?Self defence courses show a limited range of techniques designed to provide the illusion of genuine martial competence against a real life assailant...
The untrained person panics in the face of genuine threat. Their emotions take over and they freeze. A self defence course will not rid you of panic in just 3 lessons.
Such a course will give you an inflated sense of your own competence. This might prove fatal against a serious attacker.
If an instructor really feels that a youngster not yet into puberty is worthy of a black belt ranking in an art, what does that say about the sophistication and profundity of the art? What would you think of a college that awarded degrees to kids learning their multiplication tables?
The only people who were ever impressed by a black belt were the absurdly uninformed general public.
(Dave Lowry)
Being in condition entails:
• Increasing your strength
• Improving your ability to last (endurance)
• Overcoming fatigue
• Being fitter
• Being more efficient in your body use
• Being more capable
• Overcoming stress
• Improving circulation
Low stances are a throwback to a time when martial artists wore heavy body armour and fought battles in muddy fields. The urban sphere is quite another scenario altogether.
Horse stance training is about developing leg strength, not combat. Your body usage needs to feel as comfortable and as natural as possible.The modern off-shoot of Chinese martial arts is called 'wushu'. It combines martial art-style movements, gymnastics, acrobatics and dance choreographed to look exciting.
Wushu is all about aesthetics, theatrical displays and entertainment.Some tai chi people love to 'name-drop'. They travel to see all manner of visiting masters and add them to their tai chi curriculum vitae.
Collecting forms and snippets of information is a popular pastime in tai chi.External martial art schools frequently add tai chi to their syllabus because it attracts students seeking something more relaxing.
Unfortunately, these classes often have no understanding of tai chi whatsoever. Instead of tai chi, they offer slow-motion movement. And that's it.(i) Hidden
A tai chi beginner is not adept with tai chi so they need to do a lot of qigong. It provides the necessary fitness benefits by serving as a stopgap pending higher level tai chi skill.
An advanced student starts practicing the round form version of the Long Yang form. This increases the fitness benefits of form; allowing them to spend less time training qigong.(i) Muscle tension
Some qigong teachers expect students to hold static qigong postures for lengthy periods of time; even up to an hour.
This may be a challenge but the side-effect might easily be varicose veins, massive amounts of muscular tension and a decrease in higher level mobility.
(ii) Stop standing
Once the student has learned the weapons form they can cease standing qigong altogether if they want to. Prolonged standing may hinder higher levels of mobility with form.
(iii) Varicose veins
If you have varicose veins you should not undertake prolonged standing qigong.
If you are practicing the same thing every week, you are not making any progress. This is not education. It is a plateau; stagnant, dead and pointless. Learning requires development, change and growth.
In class and at home in-between lessons.
Each stage of the syllabus offers new opportunities to build strength. There is plenty of time to learn the new material.
Aim to supplement class tuition with home practice. Home practice (optional but recommended) is usually staggered across the week.
Life offers many obstacles, surprises and set-backs. When it comes to your own fitness and wellbeing, you need to be very selfish.
Children grow up and leave home. Jobs end. Marriages fail.
There is never a time in your life when your fitness ceases to be fundamental. Put your fitness first. Invest the time. Find the time. Make the time.
The main qigong exercises contain all of the fundamental movements used in tai chi. But it takes time to really understand these methods.
You must train diligently for many years. By patiently working through the exercises day-after-day, you slowly become stronger.
Your clumsiness fades. Improved body awareness enables you to perform the exercises more effectively. Layer-upon-layer of detail increases your comprehension and your fitness improves significantly.
